Shunt Reactors on their way to Magħtab Terminal Station

Two Shunt Reactors which arrived in Malta last week are now ready to be transported to the Maghtab Terminal Station for installation, Enemalta said.

Describing the arrival of the reactors as a "milestone," in the ongoing works connected to the Malta-Sicily electricity cable, Enemalta said that when the project is complete Malta's electrical grid will be joined with the European grid through a 200MW subsea interconnector. The project is expected to be completed early next year.

Shunt Reactors are used in high voltage energy transmission systems to stabilize the voltage during load variations.

On Tuesday 6 and Thursday 8 August, during the early hours of the morning, Enemalta's contractors will be delivering the equipment.

The heavy load, escorted by the police, will be leaving Lanoratory Wharf to make its way to the Magħtab Terminal Station for the drop off.

The delivery is being done at night to minimise the impact on traffic and avoid long queues, but some delays might still be experienced.

The Magħtab Terminal Station will be the landing point of the interconnector and the Shunt Reactors will be in place to compensate for the reactive power carried through the cable. Once the voltage is stabilised, it will then go through two 250MVA autotransformers delivered last month and then will make its way to the Kappara Distribution Centre which will act as a hub for the transmission of electrical energy to the rest of Malta.

While apologising for any inconvenience, Enemalta said it would appreciate if the general public would choose alternative routes where possible.